Segments

Episode 1
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Thursday, March 23rd, 2006 – running time 20:24
Ctrl Alt Chicken is a new form of cooking show... one in which the chefs don't know how to cook! In the first episode your hosts Alex Albrecht and Heather Stewart tackle all that is Chicken Cordon Bleu.

Ctrl Alt Chicken is a new form of cooking show... one in which the chefs don't know how to cook! In the first episode your hosts Alex Albrecht and Heather Stewart tackle all that is Chicken Cordon Bleu.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients

8 boneless chicken breast halves (8 oz. each) [or buy double or whole breasts and use half for the bottom and the other half for the top]
8 slices cooked ready-to-eat ham (1-1/2 by 3-1/2 inch oblong) [chef recommends Canadian bacon, available, fully cooked, at the grocery store where hot dogs are sold]
8 slices Swiss cheese, 1-1/2 by 3-1/2-inch oblong) [chef recommends Gruyere cheese, which is the Swiss cheese most suitable to Chicken Cordon Bleu]
salt
black pepper
flour for dusting
3 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup water
4 cups bread crumbs
1 egg white, beaten and strained through a sieve
butter
shortening (of your choice)

NOTE: freezing time, mallet, sieve, skillet for frying.

Instructions

After removing skin from chicken, lay each piece--on the side from which skin was removed--down on a cutting board and gently flatten with a mallet. (The pounding serves two purposes: to make the breast larger and to make the thickness even, so the cooking time will be uniform.)

Sprinkle each piece of chicken with salt and pepper and brush the surface with the beaten/strained egg white.

On the left side of each breast of chicken, place one slice of cheese and one slice of ham, one on top of the other. Fold the right side of the chicken over the ham/cheese and press the edges together. Shape each portion into an oval. Freeze the pieces for 2 hours.

Beat 3 eggs with milk and water, then run through a sieve (to create an egg wash).

One by one, remove each chicken-oval from the freezer. Dust with flour, then dip in egg wash, being sure to completely coat the surfaces. Place each in the bread crumbs, covering and gently pressing the crumbs to the surface.

Refrigerate.

Melt enough butter with another type of shortening to create about 1/2-inch fat in the bottom of the pan.

When the fat gets hot, carefully add two or four chicken-ovals at a time, depending on the size of the skillet. (If you wish to test the shortening for proper degree of heat, drop one or two bread crumbs into the fat. If the bread crumb immediately comes to the surface in the midst of a little white foam, the shortening is ready.)

Cook 'til brown, approximately 5-7 minutes; then place each piece on an absorbent paper (paper towel) and keep in a warm place until ready to serve.

[This is the recipe of Chef Louis Szathmary, who published his secrets in 1971.]

Episode 2
Baked Alaska
Thursday, April 6th, 2006 – running time 15:26
In this episode of Control Alt Chicken your diligent culinary explorers Alex and Heather tackle the wondrous world of the Baked Alaska. Will they make it happen? Watch and see.

In this episode of Control Alt Chicken your diligent culinary explorers Alex and Heather tackle the wondrous world of the Baked Alaska. Will they make it happen? Watch and see.

In this episode of Control Alt Chicken your diligent culinary explorers Alex and Heather tackle the wondrous world of the Baked Alaska. Will they make it happen? Watch and see.

Baked Alaska
"A dessert made of sponge cake covered with ice cream and a meringue that is browned in the oven." (M)

Ingredients for 8 servings

1 lb. spongecake or poundcake (homemade or commercial)
10 egg whites
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1 pint vanilla ice cream (preferably brick style)
1 pint raspberry sherbet

Note: serving platter, paper, cardboard, pencil, scissors, aluminum foil, wide rubber spatula, freezer (optional: pastry bag fitted with star tube)

Instructions

Select serving platter.
Cover serving dish with piece of paper and draw a line around the inner edges of the platter.
Cut out this tracing of the platter's inner edges and copy it onto a piece of strong cardboard.
Test to be sure the cut-cardboard will fit on the serving platter, then cover it with aluminum foil and place it in the freezer.
Cut enough half-inch slices of cake to cover the surface of the platter by 6 to 8 inches. Arrange cake slices on the foil-covered cardboard and freeze.
Cut the vanilla ice cream into slices and cover the cake, leaving UNCOVERED a half-inch rim around the edges. Refreeze.
Mound the sherbet over the vanilla ice cream, rounding and smoothing the top. Freeze again.
Place seven egg whites into a mixing bowl. Add a little granulated sugar and start to beat this egg whites-sugar mix. As the whites get frothy, slowly add the rest of the granulated sugar and two-thirds of the powdered sugar.
As soon as the whites are stiff and start to get dry, stop beating.
Add the remaining egg whites and the rest of the powdered sugar and start to beat again, continuing until they are stiff and shiny.
With a wide rubber spatula, completely cover the ice cream and the cake, using approximately three-fourths of the meringue (created above by whites-sugar-beaten-stiff-and-shiny).
Optional: Place the remaining meringue in a pastry bag fitted with a star tube and use to decorate the top with swirls, curls and stars.
Freeze until ready to serve.
To serve, preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Using a sieve, sprinkle powdered sugar (through the sieve) onto the top of the meringue.
Place the dessert in oven for one minute.
Check to see if the front is as brown as the back. If not, turn the Baked Alaska and leave in oven for another minute.
Serve immediately, slicing with a knife dipped in hot water.


Episode 3
Monte Cristo Sandwich
Friday, May 5th, 2006 – running time 16:57
"A sandwich consisting of slices of cooked chicken or turkey, cheese (usually Swiss) and sometimes baked ham. The sandwich is dipped into beaten egg and grilled in butter until golden brown." (B)

"A sandwich consisting of slices of cooked chicken or turkey, cheese (usually Swiss) and sometimes baked ham. The sandwich is dipped into beaten egg and grilled in butter until golden brown." (B)

Ingredients for one sandwich

2 slices bread (challah for the Ben & Irv's version)
l large egg
2 tablespoons cream or milk
butter
2 oz. sliced turkey
2 oz. sliced ham
2 oz.sliced or shredded gruyere cheese (or any Swiss cheese)

Note: large bowl, measuring spoons, fork, knife, toothpicks, griddle or frying pan, spatula.

Break the egg in a bowl and add two tablespoons cream or milk.
Beat this mixture with a fork and set aside.
Butter both sides of each slice of bread.
On one slice, place layers of turkey, ham and cheese.
On top of these layers, place the other slice of bread.
Cut this sandwich on the diagonal, hold together with toothpicks
Dip into egg-cream/milk mixture.
Grease the griddle or frying pan with oil or butter.
Apply heat to the pan and cook sandwich on both sides until golden brown.

Episode 4
Beef Wellington
Saturday, July 1st, 2006 – running time 19:27
Well, well, wellington! Alex and Heather tackle the wrapped beef in this episode of Ctrl+Alt+Chicken. With this attempt of the fancy pig in a blanket our wayward chefs have to use all their limited culinary knowledge to create a masterpiece. But can they do it. Watch and see.

Well, well, wellington! Alex and Heather tackle the wrapped beef in this episode of Ctrl+Alt+Chicken. With this attempt of the fancy pig in a blanket our wayward chefs have to use all their limited culinary knowledge to create a masterpiece. But can they do it. Watch and see.

Ingredients

4 lb. filet of beef, trimmed of fat
4 Tb. butter
4 chicken livers, trimmed and chopped fine
1/2 lb. mushrooms, cleaned and finely chopped (2 cups)
1/4 lb. cooked ham, finely chopped (1 cup)
l garlic clove, minced
1 Tb. tomato puree
2 Tb. sherry
3 truffles (optional: for the more expensive taste)
Puff Pastry to wrap filet

Note: two spatulas, serrated knife. Instructions

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Roast the beef on a rack for ten minutes; remove from oven and allow to cool.

Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.

In two tablespoons of butter, saute the chicken livers. To the sauteed chicken livers, while stirring, add mushrooms, ham garlic, tomato puree, sherry and optional truffles.

Continue to cook over high heat, stirring constantly for approximately ten minutes until all the liquid evaporates.

On a lightly floured board, roll out a sheet of puff pastry large enough to encase the filet.

The pastry should have no holes and be thin but not transparent.

Lay the beef in the center of the pastry.

Pile the mushroom mixture on and around the beef.

Wrap the filet in the pastry, turning in the ends and firmly pressing all the seams together.

Using one or two spatulas, gently ease the filet onto a baking sheet, seam side down, taking care not to tear the wrapping.

(If desired, use another sheep of pastry to make shapes for decoration, placed on the dough.)

Brush the dough with 2 Tb. melted butter.

Bake 20 min., then raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees and bake 7-10 minutes more or until the pastry is golden brown.

Use a sharp serrated knife to cut slices, about 1-inch thick, trying to keep the crust intact.

Episode 5
Manicotti
Friday, July 21st, 2006 – running time 17:56
Alex and Heather tackle the Italian in us all. Check out what happens when the fearless cooks take on shell pasta!

Alex and Heather tackle the Italian in us all. Check out what happens when the fearless cooks take on shell pasta!

1 pkg (8-oz) Manicotti
3 1/2 C. (two 15 oz containers) ricotta cheese (part-skim is good, although you can use the whole, too)
2 C. (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 C. (28 oz jar) spaghetti sauce

Cook pasta according to package directions. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In large bowl, stir together cheeses, egg, parsley, salt, and pepper; spoon into cooled pasta tubes.

lay out the pasta tubes on waxed paper so they cool separately, otherwise they tend to stick together.

Spread thin layer of sauce on bottom of 13x9x2 inch baking dish;

arrange filled pasta in single layer over sauce.

Pour remaining sauce over pasta;

cover with foil.

Bake 40 minutes.

Remove foil; bake 15 minutes longer or until hot and bubbly. 6 to 8 servings.

Episode 6
Beef Stew
Monday, August 7th, 2006 – running time 18:55
This episode tackles the age old question, what do I do with my meat... why Beef Stew! Alex and Heather try there hand at good ol' fashioned Beef Stew. Pot, Meat, Veggie... what could go wrong. Check it out!

This episode tackles the age old question, what do I do with my meat... why Beef Stew! Alex and Heather try there hand at good ol' fashioned Beef Stew. Pot, Meat, Veggie... what could go wrong. Check it out!

Beef Stew:

Ingredients

1 pound beef, cut for stew
1 large onions, sliced
2 tsp. flour
1 pound potatoes, diced in one-inch pieces
1/2 pound carrots, sliced
1 cup tomatoes or puree/1 cup ketchup
salt and pepper
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. paprika
water to cover

Skillet on medium heat.

Braise beef until brown in crisco; add sliced onion and cook on med-low for fifteen minutes.

Then sprinkle flour lightly over meat and stir into juices.

Brown lightly, then add tomatoes and bay leaf.

Simmer contents in a pot for 1hr

Add carrots, boil for 1hr.

Add potatoes, boil for approx 1hr.

Boil carrots and potatoes separately, and when almost done add to the stew, with their juices.

Season with salt, pepper and paprika.

Add water to partly cover. Let simmer until blended and vegetables are tender but not mushy.

Episode 7
Bananas Foster
Tuesday, August 22nd, 2006 – running time 15:18
Well Heather and Alex are up to the food challenge again. This time they may need a fire extinguisher... now who's intrigued?

Well Heather and Alex are up to the food challenge again. This time they may need a fire extinguisher... now who's intrigued?

Banana's Foster

Ingredients:

1/4 cup (½ stick) butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup banana liqueur
4 bananas, sliced in half, lengthwise, then halved
1/4 cup dark rum
4 scoops vanilla ice cream

Steps:

Combine the butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a flambé pan or skillet.
Place the pan over low heat either on an alcohol burner or on top of the stove, and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves.
Stir in the banana liqueur, then place the bananas in the pan.
As the banana sections soften and begin to brown, carefully add the rum.
Continue to cook the sauce until the rum is hot; then tip the pan slightly as you ignite the rum.
"Brennan's always uses a match to ignite the rum in Bananas Foster. You light the match to the top of the liquid as soon as you pour the rum on the bananas," says Bonnie Warren of New Orleans.
When the flames subside, lift the bananas out of the pan and place four pieces over each portion of ice cream.
Generously spoon warm sauce over the top of the ice cream and serve immediately

Episode 8
Crab Cakes
Thursday, October 5th, 2006 – running time 15:02
Well Heather and Alex are back... and it's time for more frying! I know, they were scared too. Check out your favorite "cooks" try their hand at Crab Cakes. Enjoy the deep fried goodness.
Ingredients:

1 pound cooked blue-claw crab meat
1/2 teaspoon (dry) mustard
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (optional)
dash cayenne pepper
1 slice bread, wet, squeezed out, and crumbled dry bread crumbs


Combine the crab meat with the mustard, mayonnaise, egg, salt, Worcestershire, cayenne, and bread.
Shape into 8 cakes and roll in bread crumbs.
In a heavy frying pan heat the oil until barely smoking.
Cook cakes at moderate heat until brown on one side, then turn carefully and brown the other side.

Ctrl Alt Chicken Clip Show
Friday, July 7th, 2006 – running time 05:12
For those of you who haven't see a show yet, here is a taste of the tasty little cooking show that could. Chicken Bitches!